Once largely restricted to the largest urban hospitals, telehealth is gradually expanding beyond its city confines. According to estimates from the American Telemedicine Association, about 10 million people a year now receive some form of telemedicine service. Fueled by multiple converging dynamics — including rising consumer demand as people live longer, breakthroughs in medical science, the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, and recent technological advances that make remote and online healthcare more feasible and affordable – rural and remote hospitals are likely to be the chief adopters.

Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico, is a case in point. Because they don’t have neurologists on staff, until recently they had to transfer stroke patients to El Paso or Las Cruces. Now, patients in need of neurologist care are far less likely to be transferred from Alamogordo.